The Rocking Horse
by Infactrus Pennae
Summary: Jean-Luc an Beverly have decided on a name for their soon to be born son, before they make an official announcement to friends, they tell Marie Picard. Marie at the end of the talk informs them she is sending something that survived the fire.


The Rocking Horse

As time grew closer for their son to be born, Jean-Luc knew he needed to contact his sister-in-law, Marie Picard. He and Beverly had spent weeks talking about names and had finally settled on one, Rene Howard Picard. Their son's name would be a fitting interweaving of their two heritages. However, before they made it official Jean-Luc thought he owed it to the mother of the person their son would be named after. For him, it was 0300 hours but in France it would be just after dinner which Marie ate promptly at 1800 hours. He carefully rose from the bed as to not awaken his sleeping wife. The distinguished Captain grabbed his robe and slipped it on, tying it in a figure four knot. He turned back to make sure he didn't awaken Beverly who, like him was a light sleeper. In the low light of the quarters he shared with his wife, he slipped out of their private bedroom, moving to the outer room and his desk. Once he was seated at it he requested a communications channel. "Chief Pendleton, open a channel to Earth specifically, Château Picard, La Barre, France."

"Aye sir," the deep voice of his Communication's chief replied.

As he waited his mind filled with thoughts of their child. This being his first experience with pending fatherhood was a learning experience. As the Captain of a Starship he had been witness to the entrance of new life. None had been such as enduring to him as the thought of a part of him...part of them growing inside his wife. Though he had been apprehensive at first, of having a child, once he saw the image of him on the bio scanner he was hopelessly taken by him. The boy was perfect, from his nose, which was more like Beverly's than his own, to the cleft he had in his chin that by the time of his birth would be filled by baby fat.

Soon, the face of his sister-in-law smiled at him, "Jean-Luc what a pleasure, mon cher. How is Beverly?" Her voice radiated concern. Last she had talked to Jean-Luc, Beverly was having some typical complications that came along with pregnancy. Marie, who had given birth to Rene later in her own life as well, though she had been younger than Beverly was now.

"She's fine, and sends her love and thanks for the baguette recipe," He told her.

She laughed a bit, "Well, I can't take the credit for it. After all it was your mere's."

"Ahhhh, yes," he recalled his mother's bread with fondness. "Marie, I contacted you for a reason, Beverly and I decided on a name for our son, and before we shared it with others we thought I should share it with you first." He told her as heard a noise come from the direction of their bedroom. His face turned towards it as he smiled looking at his wife who waddled closer to him.

He had always found the miracle of life magical, now Beverly was going to give life to his own miracle. Her normally curvaceous body was amplified by fuller breasts and high carried rounded midsection. Even in this low light he could see the radiating glow of motherhood about her. It increased her beauty, "Did I awaken you?" he asked concerned before turning back to Marie.

"I heard talking and, well after our talk last night and considering the time on Earth, I figured you must be talking to Marie." She said as she moved closer to her husband, her full rounded abdomen came into view.

"Still, you should be lying down," Jean-Luc rose from his seat so his wife could sit rather than stand since she was nearing her final month of pregnancy, and Dr. Selar barely allowed her out of bed. Despite the times when medical technology was so advanced, there were still complications that occurred. In Beverly's case she had been undergoing the onset of pre-term labor.

Beverly sighed as she took the seat, "I wanted to be here, Jean-Luc."

Marie's face contorted in confusion, as she intrupted the couple. "What is this all about? Jean-Luc you don't call that often."

Jean-Luc took a seat on the arm of the chair so he might be in view of the image scanner. "Beverly and I have decided on a name for our son," he explained quickly to ease any fears he might have brought about. After a slight pause he continued, "We plan to name him Rene Howard Picard, in honor of my nephew, your son."

Marie paused as her lips slightly parted and she looked at the pair. It took a moment for her to regain her voice, and before she did a tear welled in her eyes before dropping. "Oh Jean-Luc…" her words came out slightly tremored as she choked up with emotions. Before Jean-Luc or Beverly could question her thoughts on it a bright smile came to her face, "Robert and Rene would be so pleased." She wiped the fallen tear for her cheek as she looked at them.

Jean-Luc and Beverly smiled in unison. "We, both thought it was fitting." Beverly said warmly. They had decided since their first and most likely only child was to be a son, they would give him a French first name, where as if the baby would have been a daughter she would have had a Scottish first name.

"So tell me what does he look like? Who does he favor?" Marie inquired carefully.

Before the doctor answer, Rene connected his foot in a rather painful manner with her ribs. Beverly's right hand fell to her ever expanding belly as she carefully shifted her son's foot away from her ribs. The boy was going to be one hell of a soccer player. She knew far too well, once he started to become active she would get her normal craving for Hotch-Potch, "Jean-Luc…"

Her husband, the doting man he had proven to be ever since she had become pregnant, rose from his seat and over to the replicator. "Computer, I need Picard recipe 148a." It was a piping hot bowl of Hotch-Potch heavy on the carrots, cabbage and light on the barley. When the replicator complied he pulled the frothy soup from the dispenser. Carefully, he carried the tray it rested upon, and set it down on the table. He knew all to well, it was much easier for her to return to sleep if they quenched their son's hunger.

Beverly had watched what he had done and smiled as she placed her hand on her abdomen, "See…even your daddy know you too well already Rene." She turned her attention back to Marie, "the baby finds odd times to want a snack."

Marie laughed a bit and then nodded, "I remember that all to well, with me it was pickled pigs feet. I couldn't get enough of them." She paused and then told them, "I'll let you both go…oh before I forget, I forwarded something of yours to Starbase 74, Jean-Luc."

Before he could question what it was the screen when black and the Starfleet insignia was displayed. "I wonder what it could be," Jean-Luc said as he helped his wife up from the chair.

"What I wonder is which gift will you see first," She told him as she waddled to the table.

Three weeks later a new proud father slowly walked his family through the Promenade of the Starbase to the parcels department. He could have just as easily had the package beamed aboard, or transferred with the rest of the supplies they had come to pick up. IN fact he would have preferred to under the circumstances. Rene was still far too young to be venturing on a starbase in his mind. Today was his only two week birthday. As he looked over at his wife who displayed only minor signs of discomfort, other then her snails pace. Beverly's labor had progressed slowly but normally, up to the last hour, when she grew too tired, after 17 hours. Their son had a healthy weighed 3.7kg and was 49.26cm long. This made the boy just a bit too big, for her frame, and age. At 0715 hours Dr. Selar decided he would be delivered via Cesarean section. Thankful, both Beverly and Rene endured the procedure with flying colors, to Jean-Luc's delight, even if his hand was grateful when it was over. He had been greatly surprised by the strength she displayed. Even now, the bruises from her pressure where still a very faint yellow. Something he wore, with pride, much like his uniform.

When Beverly insisted this must be something too delicate to leave to transporters, he agreed. It was harder however to agree when she insisted on joining him with Rene. It was only after he lost the logical argument of the reasons they should not, that he agree they could. When they arrived he told the Duty Chief, "We are here to pick up a package from Earth for Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Doctor Beverly Crusher, care of the USS Enterprise." He used the air of his Captaincy.

The man tapped his padd, "Give me one moment while I get it for you." He left quickly to retrieve the parcel in an old fashion wooden crate.

"I wonder what it is," Beverly whispered as she looked at their son who was sleeping in her arms.

Picard nodded at her, "as do I, but it won't be too much longer now." He told her as they waited to the man to come back with the package.

Jean-Luc removed the last fastener, and the box fell open waking Rene in the process, as he cried from being startled by the noise Beverly comforted him, by rocking him carefully in her arms, humming a lullaby to their scared son, all the while looking at the antique Rocking Horse that had been inside. The thick black mane and tail it once had were gone, replace by golden ones, even the leather riding saddle had been replaced as well. No doubt they were lost in the fire, even the markings that had once defined it as Arabian were gone. It now looked like Picard's first horse, "Delmon," he whispered.


End file.
